As today marks the 45th anniversary of the nationwide emergency that was imposed in 1975 during the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched an attack on Congress party, saying that one family's greed for power led to the imposition of emergency.
In a series of tweets, Shah said that the nation was turned into a prison overnight and atrocities were committed on the poor and downtrodden.
"On this day, 45 years ago one family's greed for power led to the imposition of the Emergency. Overnight the nation was turned into a prison. The press, courts, free speech...all were trampled over. Atrocities were committed on the poor and downtrodden," Amit Shah tweeted.
"Due to efforts of lakhs of people, the Emergency was lifted. Democracy was restored in India but it remained absent in the Congress. The interests of one family prevailed over party interests and national interests. This sorry state of affairs thrives in today's Congress too!" he added.
Referring to the recent Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Shah slammed Congress president Sonia Gandhi for removing party spokesperson Sanjay Jha, who was said to be critical of the party leadership.
"During the recent CWC meet, senior members and younger members raised a few issues. But, they were shouted down. A party spokesperson was unceremoniously sacked. The sad truth is- leaders are feeling suffocated in Congress," Shah said.
The home minister further said that the Congress party has an 'emergency mindset'.
"...Congress needs to ask itself: Why does the Emergency mindset remain? Why are leaders who don't belong to 1 dynasty unable to speak up? Why are leaders getting frustrated in Congress? Else, their disconnect with people will keep widening," he wrote.
On 25 June 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had announced a national emergency in view of 'threats to national security'.
During the emergency, opposition leaders were arrested, censorship was imposed, and a ban was announced on grassroots organisations which lasted for a period of 21 months.
